Dublin to net €15m windfall from Uefa Europa League football final

Dublin is set to benefit from a windfall of about €15 million when the Aviva Stadium plays host to the Europa League final on Wednesday, according to business lobby group Dublin Town.

German champions Bayer Leverkusen will play Italian side Atalanta in Dublin in what will be the second time the Landsdowne Road stadium has hosted the second-tier European final.

Porto beat Braga in an all-Portuguese affair in 2011 when Radamel Falcao headed home a first-half winner in front of a crowd of 45,391.

Dublin Town chief executive Richard Guiney said the spend in the city off the back of this year’s game will be in the region of about €15 million.

“There are hidden benefits to hosting the event, including increasing the profile of the city for such a large sporting event,” he said.

“Demonstrating Dublin’s ability to manage such a large event will increase our potential to attract other high profile sporting and non-sporting events in the future.”

Ibec executive director Sharon Higgins said businesses in Dublin consider the fixture “an important pre-summer boost”.

“With fans travelling from Germany, Italy, and other parts of Europe, as well as a global television audience, this is a brilliant opportunity to showcase what Dublin’s experience economy has to offer,” she said.

Dublin Chamber chief executive Mary Rose Burke said the match would be “a significant short-term injection” for the economy.

“In the past, events such as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2023, featuring Notre Dame (Fighting Irish) and Navy, is calculated to have generated a €180 million boost for the economy,” she said. “While many more supporters attended that event, the Europa League final will still be a significant short-term injection to the Irish economy.”

Irish Hotels Federation president Michael Magner said the match was “a really welcome boost” for Dublin hotels and hospitality businesses.

The Aviva Stadium was announced as the host stadium for the final in 2021. Then-FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill said at the time it was “really positive news, not just for Dublin but for Ireland, as we prepare to host such a major football event”.

“The 2024 Uefa Europa League final will be a landmark event with huge economic benefits for Dublin and for Ireland along with the boost it will give our game in the build-up to the final,” he added.

Due to Uefa rules on branding for its events, the Aviva name will not be used and the stadium will be referred to as the “Dublin Arena”.